THE "TO DO" LIST BEFORE BUYING A MID-MOUNT Before you buy any commercial riding lawn mower, you should have a thorough demonstration done on your property or a property you maintain. Below is a list of points to consider for yourself during each demonstration: Remember, mid-mount steering levers must be pushed and held forward for driving Try driving down a hill Compare the operator’s view of the area being cut Lift the front of the mower deck - if the deck is too heavy to lift, imagine what it will do to the grass Check to see how easy access is made to all moving parts and the underside of the deck Make sure all of your attachment needs are being met - including possible winter and landscaping needs Compare actual mowing job times and cutting quality of all the mowers you are considering Try trimming precisely with the mower - within 1/4 to 1/2 inch along a delicate area Ask your dealer about availability of a "No Downtime" guarantee

 

Working on Hills and Slopes
The Walker generally offers superior traction and handling on slopes. A low center of gravity (operator sits 8"-12" lower on a Walker than a typical mid-mount) and having most of the weight balanced on the drive wheels makes the difference. By contrast, most mid-mounts have a higher center of gravity due to the deck mount position and the weight must be shifted forward of the drive wheels to avoid "flip up" when climbing a hill (there is no tail wheel to stabilize the tractor). Since the mid-mount has weight concentrated ahead of the drive wheels, traction is good for climbing, but the weight shifts off the drive wheels and traction is lost going down the hill-loss of steering and braking going down a hill is scary to say the least. If you are looking at a mid-mount and you have hills, make sure to test the downhill handling for safety.
The same handling concerns for going up and down hills also apply to moving across slopes. The Walker offers good balance and traction on the drive wheels for handling side slopes. With the mid-mount, having weight concentrated ahead of the drive wheels, it will tend to be nose heavy on side slopes which will limit side slope handling capability (the front caster wheels do not keep the tractor going straight on a side slope).
One more point to consider about hills before making your purchase - the front-mounted Walker deck moves independently of the tractor for better following of contour. The mid-mount deck is more rigidly suspended from the tractor and has more of a tendency to scalp or skip on rolling terrain.

Precision Steering and Handling
The Walker steering control response is light, precise, responsive and nearly effortless. The patented Forward Speed Control (FSC) takes complexity out of handling a "Z" machine by setting the forward travel and acting as a cruise control. With the Walker, precision trimming, detail mowing, and beautiful mowing patterns are easily accomplished by the experienced operator.
With the mid-mount design, the necessary heavy weight on the front caster wheels (try lifting on the front end to see the weight involved) increases turning resistance and makes steering slower and less responsive. This is especially true on soft or wet ground. More turning effort means slower, less agile turns and less precise response to steering inputs. Also, there is more of a tendency to slip drive wheels when making a sharp turn. The mid-mount will need to be turned slower to avoid turf damage from slipping drive wheels. Precision handling is not so important in open area mowing, but in areas with lots of trimming, mowing patterns and requiring a better overall appearance of the finished job, it saves time and makes a difference.

High-Quality Mowing
The Walker is designed for mowing where the finished job looks manicured and there is a beautiful mowing pattern. Careful attention has been given to the deck design for proper air pressure underneath the housing and smooth material flow. In addition, the deck suspension is important for smooth cutting. The front-mounted deck suspension "floats and flexes", moving independently from the tractor to follow ground contour and minimize scalping. Mid-mounts have inherent design limitations to quality cutting. Heavily weighted front caster wheels track and mash the grass down before cutting and the mid-mount deck is more rigidly connected to the tractor, giving less deck suspension than the front-cut (the mid-mount deck does not move independently from the tractor).

Grass Collection Capability
A key question to ask in deciding between a Walker and a mid-mount is do you need grass collection capability (at least on a seasonal basis)? Grass collection may not be needed full time, but it seems many operators need vacuuming and collection part of the time. If collection capability is needed, Walker has one of the best catching systems available (the Walker Grass Handling System or GHS). First of all, the GHS is built into the tractor which means less bulk for working in tight areas (more compact overall dimensions than a mid-mount equipped with a collection system attachment).
The rear discharge GHS deck allows trimming from either side and offers superior vacuum action. The catcher has patented Powerfil ® and full signal and is easily dumped. In comparison, the typical mid-mount collection system does not offer the GHS capability because it is an "add-on" to a side discharge deck.
If collecting capability is never needed, the mid-mount has the advantage of being a little more compact in length than the Walker (but this advantage is usually lost if the mid-mount is equipped with a collection system).

Trimming Capability
The front-mount deck on the Walker has more reach and better deck geometry for trimming. This is especially true when using the GHS rear-discharge deck with trimming from both sides. The operator sits low to work under overhanging areas and the operator’s view of the deck in front enhances trimming work. Walker’s precision steering makes it easy to work in close to edging, fences, beds, etc. Agility in maneuvering speeds the trimming portion of the job.
By contrast, the mid-mount design simply doesn’t allow the same deck reach and trimming capability, and the operator sits higher on mid-mounts, limiting the ability to work under overhanging areas. More secondary trimming with a line trimmer or push mower will be required when using a mid-mount on many jobs with lots of trimming.

Operator Comfort
On the Walker, the operator has the "best seat in the house". The operator is positioned right on top of the turn radius-giving a stable ride, and the operator has an excellent view of the mower deck (mowing area) in front. The Forward Speed Control (FSC) means the operator relaxes and does not have to hold the steering levers all the time. The mid-mount operator sits ahead of the turn radius and is jostled side-to-side when turning, and since the deck is positioned underneath, the operator has to look down to see the mowing area. Holding steering levers in position does get tiring (especially holding the levers steady on bumpy ground).

A look at the distinctive performance, features, and benefits of the Walker Mower not matched by mid-mount "Z" riding mowers. In an honest appraisal, there is a place for mid-mount "Z" mowers. Many of these machines are being used to good advantage in commercial mowing. If your job is chop and drop, mow and blow, mulchimatic, straight-ahead mowing on flat ground at 10 mph (and this is perfectly satisfactory for many applications), the mid-mount "Z" is a good machine for the job. On the other hand, if the mowing job has hills, rolling terrain, needs the manicured, vacuumed look, has lots of trimming, includes combinations of tight areas and open spaces, needs the versatility of various decks and attachments, the Walker Mower has the advantage. Here is a look at 10 ways the Walker is better for many mowing jobs. A Fully integrated Grass Handling System (GHS) means the tractor maintains its compact size in all mowing conditions B Most of machine weight balanced on drive wheels for superior traction and handling C The combination of the Forward Speed Control (FSC) and steering levers allow the operator to drive comfortably while exerting virtually no energy D All Walker decks are full-floating thanks to the counterweight springs transferring deck weight to the drive tires E Tilt-up decks make maintenance and deck cleaning easy. In the tilt-up position, the length of the mower is less than a mid-mount - great for trailer transport and storage F Deck weight is completely on caster wheels - this means more turf damage and more turning resistance G Underside accessibility for deck and blade maintenance is not easy H A lower center of gravity translates into better handling on hills I True out front deck gives better trimming capability when reaching under trees and shrubs J Adding a grass collection system makes the mower even more out of balance and wider and longer K Steering levers control speed and steering - the operator must hold levers forward to drive L Operator is "sitting on" the mowing deck - this restricts out-front visibility and reaching capability M Wheel base located behind operator results in poor steering control when going down a hill

Fast on the Job
Don’t be fooled by the popular idea that the mower with the fastest ground speed always finishes first. For many jobs, the total time is influenced by the amount of trimming and maneuvering and the required cutting quality. While many of the mid-mount "Z’s" have a faster top speed than the Walker, the Walker often wins the job time race. The mid-mount ends up faster only when mowing more open areas where quality of cut is not too important and there is little maneuvering and trimming.
Even though the mid-mount may have a faster top speed, it is the actual working speed that counts on job time. This is how Walker wins the race - a consistently higher working speed. In many cases, the mid- mount has to slow down and even go slower than the Walker to do the job. For example, when maneuvering, both the fast machine and slow machine will need to slow down to make a tight turn (to avoid turf damage) and because the Walker is better balanced, it may be able to turn faster. In another illustration, when cutting heavy grass and cutting quality is important, the mid-mount may very well need to slow down to "Walker speed" or slower to get a quality cut.
And then there is trimming. The mount often cannot reach into all the areas for trimming, and some secondary trimming with a line trimmer or push mower is required - this extra time is an "equalizer" making the Walker faster on the job. Why not design the Walker to go faster? It would compromise the design of the Walker and we would lose more than we gain. To get "mid-mount speed", the Walker would need less sensitive steering, more weight on the deck caster wheels (to avoid deck bouncing) and bigger drive tires (raise the center of gravity). That would spoil the essence of what a Walker is and what it does best.

Tractor with Versatility
A compact tractor is a versatile tractor - it will fit in small work and can also reach up and do bigger work. The reverse is not true - the big tractor can only do big work. The compact Walker has this size versatility. The front-mounted deck configuration favors quickly interchanging up to 10 sizes and styles of mower decks for a variety of mowing jobs (sales statistics show 30% additional decks are purchased for Walker tractors).
Also, the front-mount configuration is an ideal platform for mounting other attachments and quick interchanging. The balance and traction of the front mount works better for attachments than the mid-mount. The mid-mount does not easily adapt to other attachments.

Commitment to Service
Walker Mowers are sold with an after-the-sale commitment for service and support delivered by a network of servicing dealers. By contrast, many mid-mounts (and other commercial mowers) are being sold at "no-service" prices - where there is no provision for after-the-sale service. While the low initial price looks like a bargain for the customer, it is not a good deal when efficient, expeditious service is needed and the machine is sitting, waiting for repairs.
A servicing dealer adds value in other ways. A dealer keeps the equipment up to date with product upgrades and improvements from the factory. When it is time to trade-in for a new Walker, availability of good service adds to the resale value of a used Walker which reduces the overall cost of ownership - a good deal for the owner.

Easy Maintenance
A hallmark of the Walker design is quick, easy access to the working parts for service. The raised tractor body and tilt-up mower deck save minutes and even hours of labor for regular maintenance and service. With the Walker, many repairs are made right on the trailer or in the field with the easy maintenance design (e.g., all drive belts can be changed without disassembly or tools).
A comparison will show the mid-mounts cannot match the easy maintenance of a Walker. There is no easy access to the underside of the deck and many working parts require disassembly for access on these designs.